Method of making a moccasin shoe with a metatarsal support



Jan. 7, 1958 J. P. GIBLIN 2,818,588

METHOD OF MAKING A MOCCASIN SHOE WITH A METATARSAL. SUPPORT Original Filed June 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 7, 1958 Original Filed June 22. 1955 J. P. GIBLIN 2,818,588 METHOD OF MAKING A MOCCASIN SHOE WITH A METATARSAL SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I11 i 1; A75 [Wander 1&1; Jim/B wzzm United States Patent MET-H013 "01F A MQCCASIN SHOE H A METATARALSUPPORT James P. Giblin, Milton, Mass, assignor to E. T. Wright & C0.,,Inc., Rockland, Mass, a corporation of Massaclrusetts Original application June .22, 1955, Serial No. 517,300,

now Patent No. 2,795,864, dated June 18,1957. Divided and this application April 9, 1957, Serial No. 651,638

6 Claims. '(Cl. 12-142) This invention relates to shoes and the manufacture thereof, and is a division of my pending application entitled, Moccasin Shoe Containing a Metatarsal Support, Serial No. 517,300, filed June 22, 1955 now-Patent No. 2,795,864, issued June 18, 1 9 57.

The principal objects of the invention are toprovide a novel method of incorporating ametatarsatlsupport in a shoe, particularly of the moccasin type, and this is accomplished herein by placing a midsole having a premolded metatarsal elevation at its top side between the insole and outsole members ofdifferent yieldability, such that the insole will yield readily under a pressure which will not produce appreciable yielding of the outsole and applying pressure to the insole and outsole with the premolded insole sandwiched therebetween-soas to cause the metatarsal elevation to bepushed upwardly into the insole and to cause the latter to conform faithfully thereto, without substantial displacement of the outsole. Preferably the insole is treated to render it temporarily stretchable as by mulling and the bottom side of the midsole has attached thereto a metatarsal pad; Prior to applying the molding pressure necessary to raise the metatarsal mound into'the insole the upper and insole are drawn on a last having a metatarsal depression into which that portion of the-insole extending across it may 'be pressed and tacked to provide for acertain amount of fullness at this place, thereby to promote complete enveloprnent of the mound into the insole without displacement of the outsole. Prior toor-a'fter molding the insole, midsole and outsole are joined by suitable attaching means.

The invention will now be described in its various aspects ingreater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a moccasin upper blank;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a last provided with-a metatarsal depression in its bottom;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper assembled on the last with that portion of the bottom of the upper opposite the metatarsal depression tacked into the depression;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the last with the upper pulled over it and the toe plug stitched in place;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bottom surface of a midsole molded to have a metatarsal mound;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one side of a shank stiffener with metatarsal pad fastened thereto;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the opposite side of the shank stiffener with the metatarsal pad fastened thereto;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the metatarsal midsole unit including the assembled midsole, shank stiffener and P Fig. 11 is a fragmentary portion in plan view of the midsole unit with a flap covering that portion of the metatarsal pad extending beyond the stiffener;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 12--12 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a transverse section showing the midsole unit attached to the insole and the outsole attached to the midsole, relasted and being subjected to sole laying pressure; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the finished shoe.

As herein illustrated the'invention is concerned especially with the manufacture of a moccasin type shoe and with incorporating a metatarsal support therein. In accordance with the purposes of the invention, a full bottom upper 2, such as shown in Fig. 2, is provided having abottom part 4, vamp 6 and quarters 8, the latter being joined by a backse'am and reinforced with a backst'ay 12. The upper is placed on a last L specially'prepared with a generally triangular depression 14' (Fig. '2) at approximately the ball line in the metatarsal area with the bottom part 4 stretched over the bottom of the last and with the vamp and quarters drawn upwardly over the sides of the last. Prior to placing the upper on the last, however, it is mulled, for example by conditioning in moist air, or by soaking in water so that'it is stretchy, particularly in the vicinity of the bottom, and, when the upper is placed on the last, that portion 12a of the bottom 4 opposite the metatarsal depression 14 is pressed into the depression and secured in place by tacks 16 inserted near the apecies ofthe metatarsal depression. Tacks 18, 20 and 22 (Figs. 3 and 4') are employed to hold the upper in place preparatory to and during stitching of the toe plug 24 in place. After stitching in the toe plug the completed upper is removed from the last preparatory to attaching the midsole unit. By tacking the area 12a into the depression during stretching of the upper over the last and stitching the toe plug in place the bottom is not allowed to be drawn taut across the depression, hence a slackness or fullness is left at the metatarsal area for receiving and taking the shape of the metatarsal support or mound when the shoe is removed from the last and the midsole unit attached, as will subsequently appear.

The midsole 26 (Fig. 5) is premolded so that its forepart is generally concave, both longitudinally and transversely (Figs. 6 and 7) and so that it has projecting .upwardly from its upper side (Fig. 6) a convex metatarsal mound 28 which is generally of the same triangular shape as that provided in the bottom of the last and 'is located at about the ball line. The shank is'transversely concave and the heel'part substantially flat.

The upper side of the midsole unit has an overall grain surface 27 which extends all the way to its edge, and as will appear hereinafter the grain surface at the marginal edge of the midsole will constitute the upwardly facing visible edge extension of flange in the finished shoe.

A substantially triangular metatarsal pad 30 of suitable material is provided for filling the depression at the bottom side of the midsole element and is secured therein by a blind rivet 32 (Fig. 12). Before afiixing the metatarsal pad 30 in place a shank stiifener 34 (Figs. 8 and 9) is attached to it by inserting the teeth 36 at its forward end (Fig. 12) into the pad and then fastening it to the pad by rivets 38. The shank and pad are fastened to the bottom, that is the flesh side of the midsole, by rivets 40 at the rear end of the shank and by the rivet 32 referred to above. Preferably, a strip of adhesive tape 42 (Fig. 10) is placed between the shank stifiener and the bottom of the unit for anti-squeaking purposes.

In order to make the transition from the end of the stiffener to the surface of the midsole ahead of it less abrupt, a thin leather fiap 31 is adhesively fastened to the pad 30 with an edge substantially abutting the end of the shank stiffener. The forward edge of the flap 31 is generally oval-shaped and overlaps the pad 30 so that it adheres to the surface of the midsole bordering the depression.

The midsole, together with the pad and stiffener, is then fastened to the insole by single or double lines of stitching 44 (Fig. 13) whereuopn an outsole 46 is fastened to the marginal edge of the midsole by a line of aloft stitching 48 which extends through the upper surface of the midsole and is visible therealong. The completely assembled shoe is then relasted, as shown in Fig. 13, and sole laying pressure is applied by means of conventional apparatus, followed by leveling pressure, applied, for example by a roller 50, the applied pressure flattening the bottom against the last and forcing the premolded midsole inwardly against the ball portion of the insole 4 so that the latter which, as previously described, has been mulled or wetted, will be squeezed between the stiff outsole and the last bottom and hence will take an accurate impression of the inner surface of the midsole and of the As thus constructed the marginal edge of the midsole constitutes the flange of the shoe, and since it has a grain surface, as pointed out above, the stitch indentations 52 made in the upper surface of the midsole when attaching the outsole to it will be clean and permanent and will give the appearance of a welt shoe construction.

While the manufacture has been described with reference to making moccasin shoes, it is conceivable, of course, that the same or equivalent method could be used in other than moccasin shoes, and, accordingly, it is regarded to be within the scope of the invention to apply the method in the manufacture of any shoes with which it may be used to advantage.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of making a shoe with a metatarsal support incorporated therein and with a substantially flat outsole and tread surface, comprising providing insole and outsole members of difierent yieldability such that the insole will yield readily under a pressure which will not produce appreciable yielding of the outsole, providing a midsole premolded so as to have an elevated metatarsal I mound rising from its top side, applying pressure to the insole and outsole with the midsole sandwiched therebetween to cause the metatarsal elevation to be pressed upwardly into the insole without displacement of the outsole.

2. A method of making a shoe with a metatarsal support incorporated therein, comprising providing a midsole element premolded to have at its upper side an elevated convex metatarsal mound on its top side, attaching the midsole to an insole conditioned to receive the impression of the mound when pressed thereagainst, attaching a substantially unyielding outsole to the midsole and applying pressure to the outsole while supporting the shoe with the insole resting against the bottom of a last having a metatarsal depression into which the insole is crowded by the elevated mound on the midsole.

3. A method of making an elevated shoe with a metatarsal support, comprising providing a midsole element premolded to have at its upper side a convex metatarsal mound and at its underside a concave recess within which is secured a pad, attaching the midsole to an insole which has been conditioned to receive the impression of the mound when pressed thereagainst, attaching a substantially non-yieldable outsole to the midsole and applying sole laying and leveling pressure to the outsole while the insole is supported on a last having a metatarsal depression corresponding substantially in depth to the height of the mound on the midsole.

4. A method of making shoes with a metatarsal support incorporated therein, comprising fastening a premolded midsole having an elevated metatarsal mound at its top side to the mulled insole portion of a moccasin type upper, attaching a substantially unyielding outsole to the midsole, mounting the shoe on a last having a metatarsal depression in its bottom and applying sole laying and leveling pressure to the outsole to flatten the latter and to crowd the metatarsal mound and superposed insole into the depression in the last bottom.

5. A method of making a shoe with a metatarsal sup port, comprising applying a mulled full bottom moccasin upper to a last having a metatarsal depression in its bottom by tacking the portion of the bottom opposite the depression into the depression to create a fullness in the bottom and then drawing the upper about the last and stitching a toe plug in place, removing the last, stitching a premolded midsole, having an elevated convex metatarsal mound at its upper side, to the insole at the bottom of the upper, stitching an outsole to the marginal edge of the midsole, relasting the shoe and applying pressure to flatten the outsole and to force the metatarsal mound and the fullness at the bottom of the upper into the depression in the last bottom.

6. A method of making a shoe with a metatarsal support, comprising providing a last with a metatarsal depression, pulling a full bottom mulled moccasin upper onto the last and, while holding that portion of the bottom opposite the depression within the depression, sewing in the plug so that when the upper is removed the bottom will have a fullness at that place, at the location of said depression, attaching a midsole having a premolded elevated metatarsal area to the insole with said area at the place of fullness juxtaposed, attaching an unyielding outsole to the marginal edge of the midsole, lasting the shoe and applying flattening pressure to the outsole.

No references cited. 

